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IBM Unveils the 'World's Smallest Computer' (mashable.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the future-is-here dept.

On the first day of IBM Think 2018, the company's flagship conference, IBM has unveiled what it claims is the world's smallest computer. It's smaller than a grain of salt and features the computer power of the x86 chip from 1990. Mashable first spotted this gem: The computer will cost less than ten cents to manufacture, and will also pack "several hundred thousand transistors," according to the company. These will allow it to "monitor, analyze, communicate, and even act on data." It works with blockchain. Specifically, this computer will be a data source for blockchain applications. It's intended to help track the shipment of goods and detect theft, fraud, and non-compliance. It can also do basic AI tasks, such as sorting the data it's given. According to IBM, this is only the beginning. "Within the next five years, cryptographic anchors -- such as ink dots or tiny computers smaller than a grain of salt -- will be embedded in everyday objects and devices," says IBM head of research Arvind Krishna. If he's correct, we'll see way more of these tiny systems in objects and devices in the years to come. It's not clear yet when this thing will be released -- IBM researchers are currently testing its first prototype.

6 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Blockchain and AI in one press release? I Best Buy some IBM stock.

  2. Buzzwords! by saccade.com · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's just an x86 microcontroller, but we'll throw in exciting buzzwords like AI, blockchain and cryptographic anchors to see if our stock goes up. Since when is "sorting" a "basic AI task"?

  3. Beowulf Cluster Recipe by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

    1/2 tsp processors
    Add Linux distro to taste

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  4. Re:How do you communicate with it? by PPH · · Score: 4, Funny

    10Base5 Ethernet.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  5. Re:How do you communicate with it? by viperidaenz · · Score: 4, Informative

    The picture of a chip sitting on a finger in the article is 64 motherboards.
    Each motherboard is 1x1mm, which includes the CPU, SRAM, a PV cell for power and an LED/photodiode for I/O.
    Smaller than a relatively big grain of salt.

    I'm a little confused about the power of the thing though. They say it's similar performance to a CPU from 1990, which would be a 486.
    Except the 486 had over 1 million transistors, this has 100,000. That's more on par with a 286 from the early 80's

  6. Re:Smaller than a gain of salt...yeah...coarse sal by EETech1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I believe you meant Morton's law.